This Is Not Just A Game
by PinkVeeBerry
Summary: The Hunger Games with the children from the Capitol have been voted for! And Cinna's only daughter Florentia is chosen as a tribute. There's no way back. Katniss' only possibility to help her is to give her the best mentor she could have: Gale! But is he only a mentor to Florentia? Let the Capitol Hunger Games begin!
1. The Reaping

**This Is [Not] Just A Game**

**Please don't read this fanfiction if you haven't read/finished "Mockingjay" yet. Otherwise it's a major spoiler!**

**Summary: Before she died, Alma Coin made the surviving victors vote for an idea of hers. Another Hunger Games for the children from the Capitol. The victors voted for it. And that's why I - a fifteen-year-old girl - am a tribute. But I'm not one of the rebel-hating Capitol teenagers. I am Cinna's daughter.  
>And my mentor is non-other than the famous Gale Hawthorne.<strong>

**A/N: Sooo this is my first fanfiction. I'm one of the biggest The Hunger Games fans and found that Suzanne Collins never said if there actually would be those Games for the teenagers from the Capitol. So I thought "What if?" and here's my idea of it.**

**And I know my English isn't THAT good. Just ignore the fact. But it should be understandable nonetheless. At least I hope so. Have fun :)**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. If I did, nobody would have read it because it would be really really bad and lame.  
><strong>_**  
><strong>

:Chapter 1:  
>~The Reaping~<p>

A few months after the rebels had won the war, the new government had told us on TV about another Hunger Games.  
>We call it the Revenge Games.<br>Rules are almost the same: 24 teenagers in an arena and they have to survive and kill eachother. But this time the tributes are children from the Capitol and they have to fight in teams. One boy and one girl. Both are allowed to survive.

And that is why I am standing at the City Circle in the sun today. It is the day of the reaping.  
>The rest of the Capitol is being rebuild, so they have to hold it at the City Circle that had mostly been spared by the rebels.<p>

You want to know who I am? I am Florentia Aurum. A fifteen year-old girl. My father had been Cinna. Yes, THAT Cinna. Katniss' stylist. That Cinna that had been killed by Peacekeepers.I resemble him. Long brown hair that sparkles in a deep red shade when the sun is shining on it. Green-brown eyes. A brown tone of skin. And I am good at designing. Just like my father.

I miss him so much.

He is mostly responsible for me being on the side of the tributes. He had always told me about Katniss and how great she is. That's why she's something like an icon for me.

So I am now standing at the City Circle and waiting for the names to be drawn.

Katniss is standing on a tribune together with Peeta. They will draw the names. Katniss is looking so beautiful in her red dress and Peeta seems so happy.  
>I can understand that they're so happy now that they're together. I mean REALLY together. Not just faking the whole relationship-thing.<p>

Katniss draws the name of the first girl, Peeta the name of the first male tribute.  
>They will be a team.<p>

It goes on and on. I don't know the teenagers that are chosen. But they're all older than fourteen. That's good because no one wants to see a very young child die.

Two more pairs to go.  
>Katniss takes a piece of paper.<br>"Florentia Aurum."

Fuck!  
>No. No. No.<br>I'm shocked.  
>I will be a tribute.<p>

_I._  
><em>Will.<em>  
><em>Die.<em>

I can hear the crowd whisper my name. Of course they know me. My father had been kind of famous after the 74th Games and they had loved his work. He often had been invited to parties and had sometimes taken me with him.

I take a deep breath and close my eyes. As I walk to the tribune I can feel them staring at me.

On the tribune Katniss shakes my hand. I look into her eyes. They lighten up.  
>"I know you!" she whispers.<br>My father had told me that he had shown her photos of me.  
>I wait for her to remember me.<br>"You...you are Cinna's daughter!" She's shocked.  
>"Yes, I am," I simply reply.<p>

Then I have to take my seat next to the other tributes because we are being filmed. One single tear rolls down my cheek. I had always wanted to meet Katniss. But this was a whole other situation than the one I had imagined.

Peeta draws the name of my teammate.  
>"Marcius Angelus."<br>A redhead is about to come out when somebody screams, "I volunteer!"

The redhead looks very glad as another boy makes his way through the crowd. The volunteer is a tall blonde muscular boy that looks very good and quite familiar to me.  
>I'm very thankful that he is my teammate, because he seems to be very strong. Maybe with him my chance to win isn't that small.<p>

I take another deep breath and ignore the cameras that are filming us both as he sits down next to me.

Then they draw the last two names.

"Fortuna Blossom."

A girl with really long light brown hair and blue eyes comes out. She's very pale and I feel bad about her. She's maybe a year or so younger than me.

Next is the last boy tribute.

"Julius Pickman."

The boy has purple hair and seems arrogant. He sits down next to the girl and looks at her contemptuously.

Poor Fortuna.

Then I think about my teammate and I whisper, "Hey, I'm Florentia. So...seems like we are stuck up together."

He answers, "I'm Lucian. Don't worry Flora. I don't plan to die. So I won't die. And you won't die either." He grins.

At least he seems nice and he had called me "Flora". Only my father had called me that way.  
>Okay, he seems nice. And just maybe I wouldn't die.<p>

**A/N: Yeah, that was kinda short. Hope you don't mind :)  
>And pretty, pretty pleaaaase review (But no flames); I will update the next chapter when I know that there's actually someone who's reading this.<br>Thaaanks :D  
>Love u.<strong>


	2. The Opening

**This Is [Not] Just A Game**

**A/N: So chapter 2 is up! And a biiiig thank-you to the reviewers…hope the reviews will get more soon^^**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. If I did, Prim wouldn't have died.**_

:Chapter 2:  
>~The Opening~<p>

Some of the rebels lead us into the Training Centre where we will live for the next week while we are being prepared for the Games.  
>This night will be the Opening where we will be introduced to the whole nation of Panem.<p>

In the Training Centre Lucian and I are brought to the 11th floor where we will have our rooms.  
>The rebels show my new room to me. It definitely isn't that bad.<p>

I have time to shower and dress before we get dinner.  
>I put a top on in the color of a peach and some skinny jeans and leave my room.<p>

But before I get to the room where we will get our dinner, I meet Katniss and Peeta.

"Florentia!" Katniss sees me first.  
>"I've got to talk to you!" Katniss says as she comes into my direction.<br>"You can't be a tribute. You're Cinna's daughter! We will find someone else instead of you," Katniss says.

Well, this could be my chance to survive for sure but otherwise...It isn't fair.  
>"No, I've got to stay a tribute. Just because I'm Cinna's daughter it doesn't mean I'm something better," I tell her.<br>"She's right," Peeta says.

Katniss is thinking.

"Ok, then let me be your mentor."  
>"No, Katniss, that's against the rules. You aren't allowed to be a mentor. The Rebels have forbidden it," Peeta tells her.<p>

It touches me to see how much Katniss cares for me even though it's only because she had liked my father so much.

"Ok, but you will get the best mentor! Peeta, I've got to make some calls. Florentia, you will meet your mentor tomorrow morning. See you soon." I'm totally surprised when she hugs me.

"Hey, Katniss, can you do me a favor?" I ask her as she is walking away.  
>She turns around. "Yeah, of course?"<br>"Well, there are some dresses I designed at my place. I would like to wear them at the Opening and the Interview. Could someone bring them?"  
>She nods.<br>"Of course," Peeta says.

I give them my address.  
>As they are walking away, Peeta whispers in her ear "I've got an idea."<p>

**x**

Hours later I learn that it had been Peeta's idea to order my father's prep team for me as Flavius, Venia and Octavia are bursting into my room.

"Oh, honey," Octavia cries. "We've been missing you soooo much!"  
>They hug me, one after another.<br>I've known them since my birth.  
>"Wow, were you always that pretty?" Flavius asks.<p>

They're sometimes a little bit superficial but I've learned to love them.  
>"So, what did you plan about your styling?" Venia asks.<br>"Well, you all know that dress my father and I had designed? The one that's called 'Flora Aura' after the flower?"

They all nod because they know the dress I'm talking about.  
>"I will be wearing it at the Opening," I tell them.<br>They're all smiling as I tell them about my idea.

**x**

Three hours later my skin is a soft bronze that sparkles, my dark brown also sparkling hair falls down my back in curls, my nails are a metallic golden, a golden flower-pattern that I can wash away after the Opening is next to my right eye and I'm wearing black high heels and the dress that's called "Flora Aura".

"Golden Flower".

It's named after a golden flower that's very rare. The dress is sparkling golden, strapeless, short and very small on the upper body with a wide skirt.

"Wow, you look so stunning. Oh, could your father see you right know!" Octavia starts to cry.  
>"Yes, I miss him, too," I say trying not to cry so I wouldn't ruin their work.<p>

They fasten a crown with little electronic lights in my hair and electronic lights on my dress so everyone can see me even when it's dark.

Then we go to the other tributes that are standing near the horses that will drag the carriages.

I can feel them staring at me as I make my way to Lucian who's wearing a black smoking with a golden shirt.

A girl with dark red hair is giving me an evil look. She's very pale and her dress is a dark shade of green. Her teammate who's a pale thin boy with yellow hair that makes him look even paler says "Aurora, let's go".

I don't really know her but there's something about her I somehow hate.

I walk up to Lucian. "Hey," I say still eyeing Aurora.  
>"Oh...WOW...you look...stunning!" he says.<br>I smile. "Thank you."  
>He's scanning me from the feet to the head.<br>"You're definitely the most beautiful tribute...like...EVER," he says.

Ah fuck, now I'm blushing even though I almost never do.

Then Fortuna comes over.

"Hey, Florentia. I'm Fortuna," she introduces herself. She's wearing a light blue dress matching her eyes.

"You've gotta know that I LOVED your father's designs!" She smiles at me and it seems that she has recovered from her shock earlier this day. "You know...this dress is my favorite dress and your father has designed it."

I look down and smile. Light blue fabric with darker shades.

"No, my father didn't design it. That was me," I tell her.  
>"Oh my God! I didn't know! It's soooo beautiful!" she says.<br>I smile at her. She seems really nice.

Then a guy tells us to get on our golden carriage that is being dragged by two black horses and after I have put on my electronic lights Lucian helps me up on the carriage.

Then the Opening is starting.

As we are dragged to the President's Mansion, people scream my name. They know me. From the television. They know whose daughter I am. And they are stunned as they see my dress.

Roses rain from the sky and I realize how Katniss must have felt two years ago. It somehow feels great and I forget about the arena and the killing.

It's getting dark as our new president is holding a speech but I'm still sparkling because of the lights that are fixed on my dress and in my hair so all the cameras a centred on me.

A while later our carriage is being dragged back to the Training Centre.

Flavius, Octavia and Venia are waiting for me, hug me and tell me that everyone had said that I am looking amazing.  
>I wish them a good night and walk next to Lucian to the elevators.<p>

We get inside and want to ride to the 11th floor as someone stops the elevator.

Aurora and her teammate get in. I let out a little sigh only Lucian can hear because he's standing right next to me.

"Hey, you must be Florentia, Cinna's daughter," the yellow-haired boy says to me.  
>"Yeah, that's me." I smile at him because he's seems nicer than Aurora.<br>"I'm Ernestus," he says and shakes my hand smiling.

Well, this is awkward. Wouldn't we soon be in the arena trying to kill eachother? I definitely shouldn't start to like him because he has to die if I want to live. Otherwise I had already started to like Fortuna.

On the 2nd floor they're getting off the elevator. Ernestus with a friendly "Goodnight" and Aurora with a last contemptuously look at me.

"Well, he's kind of nice, but she's like an ice cube," Lucian says.  
>"You're damn right. Did you see how she looked at me?" I ask.<br>"Nah, don't worry. She's just jealous because you're so unbelievably beautiful and she looks like a witch."

Well, that was exaggerated because she was kind of beautiful but otherwise he had just wanted to cheer me up.

So after we stopped at the 11th floor I want to send him off as he suddenly hugs me.  
>"Bye, Babe."<br>Dammit. What the fuck was that?

**A/N: Soooo everyone should know who's that mentor^^ And I hope Katniss wasn't too OOC. I try my best. Hope you liked it :)**  
><strong>Review? Pretty, pretty please? :)<strong>


	3. The Mentor

**This Is [Not] Just A Game**

**A/N: Chapter 3! And the person you have been waiting for is fiiiiiinally making his first appearance!**

**It's making me kind of sad that there are only 3 reviews :( Please, if you read this fanfiction and you think it's good or something...review...Every review brightens up my day :D Sooo a maaaajor thank-you to the people who reviewed :D  
><strong>

_**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. If I did, Finnick wouldn't have died :(**_

_:Chapter 3:_  
><em>~The Mentor~<em>

The next morning I'm sitting at the breakfast table with Lucian who is apparently very tired.  
>"Ugh, why did they have to wake us that early?" he whines.<p>

"I don't fucking know," I answer because I'm also extremely tired. "Because we will meet our mentor?" I suppose.

"Well, that's right!" suddenly a very attractive male voice says.  
>I look up from my breakfast and almost suffocate because I forget to swallow as I recognize him.<p>

Olive skin. Black hair. Tall. Muscular. Very attractive.

"You must be Florentia and Lucian?" he says.  
>"Yeah, we are. And you must be our mentor? Aren't you a little bit too young?" Lucian asks.<p>

"Well," I answer for him. "That is non-other than the famous Gale Hawthorne. He may seem very young but he's also very talented."

"Thank you," he says and sits down next to me. "You seem to know me."

"Of course. After all my father was Cinna and he's responsible that I was on your side throughout the whole revolution. I've followed all your activities and honestly you were on the TV like ALL the time."

I smile at him because just like with Katniss I had always wanted to meet him someday and now he is my mentor and I will probably see him like 24/7.

"Well, you haven't been on the TV rare, either, Flora," he says.

Ohmygosh. He had just called me by the nickname my father had always used. Well, ok, Lucian had called me the same way but Gale Hawthorne used my nickname! Awesome.

"By the way I loved the dress you wore last night. And you looked so stunning. The people already love you! Great job," Gale says.

I blush. Madly.  
>Well, all that blushing is definitely new to me.<p>

"Sooo...what are we going to do?" I ask him.  
>"Well, I surely don't want you to die...so we're going to train you," he says only looking at me. "Follow me."<p>

As we walk behind him Lucian mutters "I hope he means us both because it seems like he only meant you."  
>"Reaaaally?" I ask happily.<br>He gives me a stern look.  
>"Just kidding," I say and wink.<p>

Still fixed on Lucian I don't perceive that Gale has stopped in front of me and run into him.  
>He turns around.<p>

"Ok, it might be better if you change your clothes," Gale says.  
>I look down my body.<br>Oh. Yeah, right. I was wearing a pink summerdress with flower-print.  
>"Er, you're probably right."<br>"Ok, we'll wait for you right here."

Ten minutes later I leave my room in grey sweatpants, a dark green hoodie and my hair up in a ponytail.  
>"'Kay, ready!"<p>

"Ok. So...maybe you know that I'm a experienced hunter. I know how to handle knives, traps and of course bow and arrows. Is there any weapon you're good with?" Gale explains.

"Not really," Lucian says. "The teenagers from the Capitol aren't allowed to use any weapons and I never really thought I would someday use it...So we're all not that experienced."

Gale looks at me questiongly.  
>"Well...after the 74th Games I've started to practice archery," I admit. "But I'm not doing very well."<br>"That's at least something," Gale says and leads us to a gym.

After he had shown Lucian and me how to throw knives, he tells Lucian to keep practicing.

Then he gets a bow and arrows and something I can shoot at.  
>"Just show me what you can do." He sits down next to the wall.<p>

I take the bow, an arrow, aim, shoot and miss.

"Ok, we've got to work on your stance," he says, stands up and comes over to me.

Now he's standing right behind me and puts his hand on my waist.

Fuck. My heart starts beating faster.

He's changing my stance but as he's finished he doesn't step back. He places his hands right on mine and I'm pressed against his body.  
>"And now try to shoot," he commands.<p>

I shoot. And hit the bull's eye.

"Er...WOW?" I breathe.

"So...now we're doing it like that a few times and you try to remember the stance and everything. And after that you'll try it alone. Sounds good?"

"Yes."

While we're practicing it again and again I see Lucian looking in our direction with an irritated look.

At first I think he might be jealous but then I shake that thought off.  
>I'm sure he's just a little bit mad because he thinks he's being trained too little.<p>

Some time later I'm able to shoot and hit the aim without Gale.

"Well, you're a very fast learner," Gale says. "So what about lunch? After it you can keep practicing and I deal with him." He nods his head into Lucian's direction.

"I would love to have lunch with you." The comment slips accidentally over my lips.

Gale seems confused and shakes his head. "Wait, I get him."

**x**

While we are eating lunch Gale tries to find out more about me.

"Do you live with your mother?" he asks.  
>"No, she has died right after I had been born," I answer.<br>"Oh, that's sad."

"What about you?," I ask him.  
>"I used to live with my mother and my three siblings but now that I'm 20 I live in District 2...alone," he tells me.<p>

I don't know why but I'm relieved that he's living alone.

"So...you design?" he asks me.  
>"Yes, she's just as talented as her father was," Lucian says before I even have a chance to answer.<br>I had totally forgotten that he was sitting right next to us.

Gale stares at his food. "So...you two...are like...together?" He looks up.  
>"Err, noo," I say. Blushing.<p>

When the fuck had those whole blushing-thing started? It was annoying me like hell.

"Yeah, I just thought that because he volunteered to build a team with you. Somehow reminded me of Peeta," Gale explains. "But you DID know eachother before the Reaping, didn't you?" he now asks.

"No," I say in the same second Lucian says "Yes."

Well, now it was getting interesting.

I look at him confused.

"Seems like I knew you before and you didn't know me," he says a little bit frustrated. "We were on the same school. I didn't know you at first but after the 74th Games you were on the TV...often... so someday I saw you in school and recognized you," he explains.

"That's all," Lucian says but he's avoiding to look me in the eyes.

I'm staring at him trying to figure out if he had been lying.

"So...is you being a volunteer somehow connected to her?" Gale asks.

Lucian mumbles something I can't understand.

Gale suddenly seems very stern.

Had he understood what Lucian had said?

"Maybe we should start practicing again," Gale says.

So day after day we keep training.

**A/N: Yeah, so any guesses what Lucian is hiding?^^**

**I'm not describing the whole Capitol and the Training Center that much because it's already described in the Hunger Games and Flora is already used to the whole glamour-thing :)**

**And just like I said: I would be sooo happy if you reviewed :D**


	4. Last Day Of Training

**This Is [Not] Just A Game**

**A/N: So now it's like...dunno...four days later (I'm of course talking about the fanfiction) and you've got to know: They're all really becoming...yeah, kinda friends :)**  
><strong>Just read and you'll know what I mean.<strong>

**And you will have noticed: I'm not really updating this regularly...  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. If I did...well, I don't know what would happen then^^**

: Chapter 4:  
>~Last Day Of Training~<p>

Gale and I are sitting at the breakfast table.

"And I was like 'No, you definitely WON'T fucking get that. That's MY last fucking piece of chocolate.' And he ATE it. So...I threw my Uglydoll after him," I say.

Gale chuckles. "Lucian will never ever touch your chocolate again. Flora, you're dangerous."

I laugh. "Yeaaah, of course. So no one in the arena will try to eat my chocolate 'cause they would be like DEAD," I joke.

I know that it might sound a little awkward but making fun of the Games is way better than to be frightened to death. And I just want to have fun before I've got to kill somebody or die.

"Haha, murdered by an Uglydoll," Gale's still laughing.

I love that sound.

Lucian walks in and sits down next to me.

"Why did nobody wake me?" he asks.  
>"Because you're always fucking complaining about how they wake you that early," I say smiling at him.<p>

He looks at me with a stern look.

"Awww, are you still mad at me because I threw something at you?" I ask.

Now he's giving me an annoyed look.

"Noo, it didn't even hurt," he answers.

Gale starts to chuckle again. "Well, would be awkward if it had hurt. I mean it's made of wool."

I giggle.

Lucian stands up, picks me up and is carrying me away.  
>"Whoa! Luke, what the fuck are you doing?" I ask him still laughing.<p>

He brings me into his room, throws me on the bed and tickles me.

"Haha, Luke. Stop!" I can't help laughing.

Now Gale is appearing in the doorway and grins at me.  
>"Gale, help me!" I call. "Please! C'mon move your ass and help me!"<p>

Gale comes over and I think that he's trying to save me as he pins my hands to the bed so I'm completely helpless.

"Ahhh, you're a fucking traitor," I giggle.

Suddenly a stern female voice asks "What are you doing?"

Lucian stops tickling me and we all look at the door to see Katniss standing in the doorway.

She seems very angry so I suggest,  
>"Training to wrestle?"<p>

She arches an eyebrow. "Gale, didn't I tell you that you should train her?Not...flirt with her."

Flirt? Is he really flirting with me? I look at him. He is right above me with his hands on my wrists. He looks down at me and flashes a smile. He's looking so perfectly handsome and my heart starts to beat like crazy.

Fuck. I think I'm starting to like him.

"Sorry. Maybe you could give her a few tips for the archery? She's very good," he says and I blush. He stands up and gives me his hand. I take it and stand up.

"I now know why Cinna has liked you so much, Catnip. You two resemble eachother. Even though Flora is funnier and laughs and swears a lot more than you," Gale tells Katniss.

Katniss watches me as I shoot and gives me a few tips. At last we end up sitting next to eachother talking.

"So how are you?" I ask her.  
>"Good. Peeta and I are living back in District 12 and help the others to rebuild it," she answers. "I think you'll make it."<br>"What?" I ask her.  
>"You will survive. You really remind me of myself. A fighter, even though nobody sees it yet."<br>"I'm not quite sure. You're a hunter. You knew how to kill. You knew how to survive."  
>"Don't worry. You'll make it. Lucian will protect you just like Peeta did with me. Only that he's with you from the beginning. And Gale will do anything for you. You know, he's not in love with me anymore...and he really seems to like you...a lot," she explains.<p>

My heart is beating like hell. Yeah, I definitely like him.

"But I don't want to kill people," I say.  
>"Oh, when people start trying to kill you, you will be glad when they're dead," Katniss tells me.<p>

"I will do it. There are still people in the Capitol who think the rebels are bad. I fear they will start their own uprising so I will show every single person in the Capitol that they have to live together with the rebels. What you are doing with them is so much better than what they did to you. They have to understand that. I want a Panem where people from the Capitol live next to people from the Districts in peace. And because of that aim of mine I will fight," I say.  
>I don't know where that was from but it feels right.<p>

I think it's the summary of me being awake almost the whole night.

"I believe in you. And that's why I've got a lucky charm for you."  
>Katniss searches for something in her pocket. She gets a golden pin out of it.<p>

Her Mockingjay pin. The symbol of the rebellion.

Only there isn't a mockingjay in the golden circle. It's a golden flower.

"Aura Flora," I say. The flower always reminds me of my father. Because we had found one together. Because he had named me Florentia and my last name is "Aurum". He had once said to me, "Just like the Aura Flora, you're something rare and equally beautiful." He had told me about something the flower stands for but I can't remember.

"Yes. Your father told me about this flower and that he had named you after it. It's exactly my pin only that the mockingjay is now your flower. It's your symbol," Katniss says. She smiling at me and I smile back.

"Thank you," I say and hug her.

"I really hope you survive. How about being friends?" She asks.

"Of course!" I answer.

**A/N: Well, hope you liked it.**  
><strong>Whoooa Gale likes her :D Who wouldn't be glad to hear something like that.<strong>  
><strong>Next chapter will be the Interviews :)<strong>  
><strong>Hmm, will Lucian give away why he volunteered? Not quite sure about it yet.<strong>

**Anyway, pleeease review 3**


	5. The Interviews

**This Is [Not] Just A Game**

**A/N: I'm so sorry this took so long :P I was working on my other Harry Potter fanfictions a lot :P**

**Thank you to the reviwers: erockhp7, SlytherinPrincess95 and TheBeatlesFan4eva! You guys are awesome!  
><strong>

**So last day before the Games start. Hope it will be a lot more thrilling when they actually have to fight and the hunt starts...**

**And yeah, I didn't write about the part where they have to show the Gamemakers what they can do. Just so you know:**

**Flora: 10 points**  
><strong>Lucian: 8 points<strong>  
><strong>Aurora: 9 points<strong>  
><strong>Ernestus: 8 points<strong>  
><strong>Fortuna: 7 points<strong>  
><strong>Julius: 6 points<strong>

**Rest of them is still unknown^^**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. If I did ,Katniss would be a lot more like Florentia.**_

_:Chapter 5:_  
><em>~The Interviews~<em>

Today is the last day I am free.

It's the last day I am not caught in an arena.  
>Where I will have to survive.<br>Where I will have to kill.  
>Where I will die.<p>

Gale, Lucian and I are sitting on the breakfast table.  
>Today no one is laughing. No one is joking. We aren't even talking.<p>

"So...do you need any help preparing for the interviews or something?" Gale asks.

"No," I answer. I know exactly how to present myself.

"Yeah, I need help," Lucian admits.

Gale looks at him interested. "Ok, how can I help you?"  
>"I don't need your help. I need Peeta's," Lucian says.<p>

Gale seems angry and suddenly his eyes widen.

Had he found out something?

"Ok, I will call him, but I'm sure there's no way the same strategy works twice," Gale says.

What the fuck were they talking about?

Lucian seems angry. "It isn't just a strategy. It's real. Must be hard to experience the same thing twice. Seems like you don't have any luck," he says, stands up and runs out of the room.

Gale is clutching his fork so it's slightly deformed when he lets go of it.

I take his hand and he relaxes. "What did you talk about?" I ask him.

"You will probably see it tonight," Gale says.

Yeah, right. It's really fucking cool that they're telling me everything and don't hide things. That practically screams "sarcasm".

**x**

It's evening and I'm wearing a long dark green dress that sparkles golden. On the seam are golden flowers. "Flora Aura". Again.

My skin also sparkles and my dark hair goes down my right shoulder in a braid. My nails are still golden and I've got the golden pattern next to my eye again.

I meet Lucian at the elevatores. He's wearing a black smoking and seems nervous and angry.

"What is it?" I ask him.

"That bastard," he just says.

I'm confused. What bastard? Had he met up with Peeta and he hadn't been able to help him or something? "Who do you mean, Luke?"

"Gale! He didn't call Peeta to help me!" Lucian explains.

"Well, Peeta is probably chilling back in District 12 and can't just come?" I tell him.

"No, Peeta's in the Capitol! I bet Gale didn't call him on purpose!"

"That's nonsense! Why should Gale do something like that?"

Luke's eyes sparkle angrily. "Because he obviously knows about what I wanted to talk with Peeta. Flora, isn't it obvious?"

"No, it's not obvious! Why do you think I'm asking? Surely not because I know what's going on here!"

Luke opens his mouth to explain but is interrupted by my prep team.

"Flora, honey! You have to hurry up! The interviews will begin soon!" Venia says.

"Fuck," Lucian mutters. "I have no idea what to say!"

"You'll find out soon enough," I say while we are riding down on the elevator to the basement in high-speed.

The other tributes are already there. Aurora is dressed in a dark blue dress and looking majorly pissed. She looks at every single one in disgust. Hey, let's see the games positively: I can evade that bitch.

Fortuna comes over. Shyly she looks at me. "Hey, Flora," she says.

"Hey," I smile at her. Man, it was horrible to know that we would be soon in an arena trying to kill eachother. Well, if something was clear: I wouldn't kill her. Unless she wanted to kill me.

"I wanted to ask if you... would like to be our allies?" she looks at me hopefully.

I look at Lucian who's following me like a shadow. He shrugs.

"Well, if that's okay with your partner?" I say.

She turns around looking into the direction of Julius. He doesn't seem enthusiastic but so what? He couldn't probably kill his partner and hey, they needed every help they could get!

Unwillingly he nods.

**x**

The first interview is Aurora's. Even now she's presenting herself as hateful and arrogant. That definitely won't make sponsors like her but she seems at least tough.

"So... what do you think about being in the games? What do you think about the rebels having Games with children from the Capitol?" Caesar Flickerman - his hair is golden - asks her. Would this be the old Capitol with President Snow that question would have been unthinkable! If it had been about the Capitol having Games with children from the Districts! The answer could have been to rebellous and Snow would have never allowed something like that.

The question shows that the rebels are not as strict and they allow people to criticise them.

"Well," Aurora starts and I know nothing good is to come. "It's just aweful. The rebels praised that those Games were wrong and now they're doing the same! They let us kill eachother! They aren't any better!"

Holy shit! What does that girl want? Another rebellion? It seems like that right now. Can't she just shut the fuck up?

She continues on criticising the rebels and I roll my eyes.

The interviews go on until eventually it is my turn.

"Florentia, a pleasure to see you!" Caesar says. He isn't just friendly to me like to the other tributes. Like I said: I had been on a lot of parties with my Dad and Caesar often had been there, too. So I knew him personally.

"Hello Caesar," I say, smiling charmingly.

"Look, you inspired me!" he says, pointing at his hair. "All because of your stunning dress."

I giggle and blush slightly. The cute girl system. I had created it a few years ago when my father had started to stand in the spotlight. If you acted cute - but not stupid - and independent with a whiff of toughness people started to like you. My father had always told me that it wasn't the cute girl system that made people like me but my positive charism.

"So... the same question for you... What do you think about these Games?" Caesar now asks.

I take a deep breath. "I won't say that it's okay to make children kill eachother but... imagine: What we have to do this one time... they had to do it 75 times! Maybe now... we will be able to finally understand what we did to them. And to realize that something like that must never happen again! We all should be relieved that after this Games everything will be over and we will be living in peace next to eachother without rebellions. And everybody should value that peace so many people had to die for!"

Everything is quiet for a while until suddenly people stand up and start to clap. At first it's only a small amount of people but then it's getting more and more and I realize that I just held a short speech. Even the tributes now stand up and clap with one exception: Aurora. She's sitting there, glaring at me.

After a while everybody sits down again and it's Lucian's turn.

"Lucian," Caesar greets him.

"Hey," he says. For everybody else he probably seems completely normal but I can see how nervous he is.

At first it's only small talk. Caesar had probably realized how nervous he is and wants to make him feel better. But later they change topics. Their new topic am I.

"Well, you must be glad to have such a stunning partner like Florentia," Caesar says. "I mean, she's got a 10 and not to forget about how beautiful she is!"

The camera catches me blushing.

"Yes, she is awesome," Luke says, laughing and turns around to look at me. I smile at him. "She's talented, beautiful and - to top it - she is very kind and funny. She is perfect!" More blushing.

"So you volunteered. Did you plan from the beginning to do so and just waited until you saw a partner you liked?" Caesar now asks.

"Er- I didn't really plan on volunteering at first..." he explains.

"So why did you volunteer?"

"It was because-" but the bell rings and his time is over. We will never find out why he volunteered.

**x**

After the interviews I meet Gale behind the stage. He has also dressed up in a black smoking and looks damn hot.

"I need to talk to you," he says.

I look at him, anxiously waiting what he wants to say but there are too many people around.

And now Lucian appears behind me. He seems to be still pissed off because of Gale. And Gale apparently doesn't want to talk to me in front of him. "I come to your room, later," he says and disappears.

"What did he want?" Luke asks.

"I dunno," I say, just wanting to get into my room so I can talk to Gale.

**x**

I'm now in my room. I'm still wearing my long dress and standing at the window to look at the lighted Capitol. Is this the last time I will see it? Will I ever come back alive? I honestly don't know.

I hear the door open and close behind me and turn around. Even though the lights from the Capitol outside are the only ones lighting up my room I can make Gale out.

"You're speech was incredible!" he says.

"Thanks. It just came to my mind," I say, smiling.

He takes a few steps and is now standing right in front of me.

"What I wanted to tell you... I can't believe it's really happening again..." he says.

"What is happening again?" I ask confused.

"I've fallen in love with a girl that has to take part in the Hunger Games..."

At first I'm not able to say anything.

"You fell in love with me?" I ask him.

"Yes, and I'm scared. Scared that something happens to you in those Games."

He. Is. In. Love. With. ME!

I can't believe it at first.

"I'm in love with you, too," I tell him.

His eyed widen. Then he bents down and kisses me. Just a short kiss.

"Please, take care of yourself! Lucian will also take care of you very much," he says.

"Did you tell him to?" I ask him.

He chuckles. "You may be perfect but you don't get what's going on around you. He's in love with you, too. He voluteered because he loves you. To protect you in the arena."

Now everything made sense. Everything they had said. About Peeta's help. About the same thing happening twice to Gale. Everything.

"I need to go now. You need your sleep for tomorrow. Be strong," Gale says.

"It's just a game," I answer, probably trying to calm us both.

"This is not just a game. I will do everything I can to keep you safe," Gale says, kisses me on the forehead and leaves.

Now I have something to fight for. I need to make sure that this wasn't the last time I saw him**.**

**A/N: lalalala, that's it...for now :D Hope I'm able to update faster this time :D**

**And it would be awesome if you would leave a review :D**

**BYE :D**


	6. Let The Games Begin

**This Is [Not] Just A Game**

**A/N: It took me a bit of time but I was on vacation and wasn't able to update it :P I'll try to update more regularly!**

**Also thanks to my wonderful reviewers: SlytherinPrincess95, Someone, loveless, EStrunk and jayjay. Hope you'll review this one, too :D**

**To Someone: Well, let's see with whom she really ends up :)**

**To EStrunk: Yes, I love love-triangles :D You're very obversant. I like it :D  
><strong>

_**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.**_

_:Chapter 6:_  
><em>~Let The Games Begin~<em>

"Wake up!" a voice in front of my room screames.

I groan into my pillow and murmur something about "No Daddy, I want to keep sleeping".

But the instant I say those words, I open my eyes and looking shocked everything around me comes into focus.

Of course. I'm not at home. I'm in the Training Centre and today is the beginning of the Games. I smack myself onto the forehead with my hand.

"Shit," I mutter. Then I remember the last day. The Interviews, what Gale had said to me and the idea I had had shortly before I drifted off to sleep. I take a deep breath and tell myself that I will fulfill that plan.

"Are you awake?" the voice screames.

"Yes," I groan loud enough for the person outside to hear. The door opens and my prep-team comes in. Right, now I notice that the voice belonged to Flavius.

"You could've just come in and woken me up, you know," I say, followed by a big yawn.

"We are not suicidal! We know how you react when you're too tired. It's better to have a door in between," Venia adds, nervously.

I raise one perfect - thanks to them - eyebrow and shrug. They are probably right.

They give me a thin robe as I will get the clothes for the arena later on. We go up on the roof where a hovercraft picks us up. Just now as we are having breakfast I realize that my whole prep team looks rather bad.

"What is wrong?" I ask stupid as I am.

They all start bawling at the very same time and shocked I sit there until I realize what is the matter.

"Oh," I simply say. They're crying because of me. They think I'll die. Very encouraging.

"Hey guys, stop crying! I'll do my best. Pinky promise!" Yeah, right as if that is working. I roll my eyes and continue eating. No way will I be able to soothe them. Not in the mood I am right now.

"Where's Luke by the way?" I ask them, having my mouth full of a roll. All they do is sob.

Ok, Flora, keep yourself together! Don't cry! Don't even think of it! Do NOT cry!

I take a deep breath. Everything will be fine! If my plan works out everything will be more than fine. But if I start it and it doesn't work out... it will be more likely that I get killed. Whatever! It will work!

We are there. Someone injects me the tracker and the I'm brought to the room. The last place I will stay before I'm in the arena and everybody will be out to kill me.

So I am in my Launch Room and now it starts. I get nervous. I'm scared. I want out here!

"Let me out!" a voice inside me screams but I must not show my fear right now.

My prep team brings me the clothes I will be wearing in the arena. It's a dark red hoodie, a black t-shirt and black trousers. I sigh, dress up and they arrange my hair to a bun. "Here," says Venia and gives me the small golden pin with the "Aura Flora" and I fasten it on my hoodie. I had almost forgotten it! Too soon they wish me their luck and I have to stand on the platform that will bring me up into the arena where at least 22 people will be ready to kill me. I try to think about something else so I bring myself instead to think about what the arena could look like. I hope it isn't something where I will have to swim. I mean I know how to swim but I don't do it very well and I also don't like it.

I close my eyes as I feel the platform rise and try to stop the nausea that is almost drowning me. I need to be strong!

I open my eyes again, as I feel the wind brush my face and at first all I can see is darkness. After a few seconds my eyes get adjusted to it and I see that we are in the middle of a huge forest. The trees block out most of the sunlight as they are everywhere. A forest. I've never been to one yet. It smells good. No, I can't let that distract me! I have to analyze my surroundings.

Next to me I can see Lucian, in front of me is the Cornucopia. Instantly I look for a bow and arrows and am relieved as I make them out. They're not even too far in the middle. I can get them! I see that most of the other tributes are distracted by the woods. Like me they've never been in something like this before. They shouldn't be in my way.

In the distance I see Fortuna and Julius and wink at them as they are looking at me. We'll try to meet up as soon as possible. Sadly, Aurora seems to be keeping an eye on me, too. Her hoodie brings her hair color out.

I flinch when suddenly a loud voice booms around us.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, let the 76th Hunger Games begin!"

Slowly I count to 60. Then I jump from my platform, knowing that I won't be blasted to pieces and run as fast as I can to the bow and arrows. I'm not really interested what goes on around me even though hell breaks loose 'cause I know Luke has my back, seeing that he has picked up knives from the corner of my eyes.

I grab the bow and duck, rolling over the earth. I can hear the sound of fighting behind me but I don't care. I have to get away from here as Gale has told me.

That was easy! I think, looking for Luke who is following me and I keep running into the depth of the forest. After 10 minutes of constant running, I slow down and we change the direction. Gladly, I see that Fortuna and her teammate Julius have followed us.

"We have a backpack," Fortuna tells us, showing a small black backpack. Well, someone seems to have actually thought about other things than weapons we could need.

"Good," I answer.

We keep walking into a direction for a few hours, having found a small river where we have filled our waterbottles, then we sit down 'cause I want to tell them my plan.

"I won't kill anyone," I say as we sit together.

"WHAT?" is Luke's answer. "But then you'll get killed by sure!"

I can almost hear Gale groan and say the exact same thing.

"Let me explain," I say. "I won't kill anyone until it's necessary and they try to kill me first. They can't force me to kill anyone who's harmless."

All three of them look at me as if I'm totally mad. Which I probably am. But I don't mind. I won't become a murderer to please anyone.

**A/N: Ok, this probably seems a bit rushed but whatever ;)**

**Please review/Fave/alert :D**


	7. The Plan

**This Is [Not] Just A Game**

**A/N:Thanks to the reviewers: BamaBelle630, TheBeatlesFan4eva, EStrunk, jayjay and alwaysapotter :D Hope you'll review this chapter, too :D  
><strong>

**Seeing that some of you want more Gale there will be something out of his point of view ;)**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games.**_

_:Chapter 7:_  
><em>~The Plan~<em>

Gale

What the hell does she think she's doing?

I'm about to throw my head set against the nearest wall after I heard her say those words.

The whole Games are about teenagers killing eachother and suddenly she enters the play and wants to stay peaceful? I have to admit it's mad and deadly but brilliant all the same. If this were the Games the Capitol had made she probably would've been killed a few hours after saying this. Thank God she won't be.

But nevertheless... It's extremely dangerous. I have no idea what exactly she's planning but if she won't kill anyone I know that she can't win. To win every other tribute has to be killed. And if she doesn't kill them, who will? Luke? It will be very unlikely for all of the other tributes to die by themselves.

But there's another possibility... I don't know who the Gamemakers are. It's very likely for them to be rebels. If they are the Capitol-hating sort they will never allow it. But if they are different...

My eyes widen when I see Flora's whole plan unfold in front of me. She's a genius! She's trying to bring peace... she isn't even afraid to sacrifice herself!

My own thoughts alarm me when I think about how I would rather see another war start than see her die.

Love is such an irrational thing. I still remember how this had all started. I couldn't stand the thought of Katniss and Peeta being together and then, suddenly there was this girl. At first I thought she was just like Katniss. The Katniss that I fell in love with. Not the one she had become. Flora seemed so much like her. She had lost her father. She was skilled with a bow. She had a similar laughter. And she was a tribute which didn't seem too bad in the beginning. It just made her more similar to the girl I used to love.

But then I spent more time with Flora and that image of her shattered. Even though she must've been confronted with pain in her life she still had that way of laughing at the smallest joke. She had that way of swearing way too much for a girl. Her eyes sparkled everytime she looked at me. She was funny. She was so different than Katniss. But that didn't matter to me. I had already fallen in love with her. And with that her being a tribute turned into a curse. It seemed that it was even more unbearable than the time Katniss had had to go into the arena. Every night I had nightmares of how Flora would die. And now she is in there. Planning something that is absurd and will maybe get her killed. And I have to watch every single second of it.

I look up to the giant display where her face is on closeup view. There is no smile now. Her eyes don't sparkle. She knows exactly what she's doing. And everything I'm able to do is sit here and watch.

Flora

"Are you mad?" Luke yells at me. That's the angriest he's ever been. "Do you really think someone like Aurora will hesitate just one second to kill you? She will be thrusting a knife into your heart, gladly!"

Oh yes, I am quite sure she would. Aurora was the only gap in my plan. I just planned to stay out of her way. Which can eventually get hard. I have the feeling she's somewhere out there, looking for me, trying to hunt me down.

"You know... they really could've chosen another color for the hoodies than dark red. It really doesn't suit my haircolor at all," Julius says, sitting somewhere next to a tree, picking on one of his purple locks.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Luke screams at him.

Fortuna, Julius and I all look at him as if he has gone really crazy. Maybe it's true what Gale said. Maybe Luke actually is in love with me.

"Lucian, you should really keep your voice down. Otherwise Aurora will be sure to find her," Fortuna says, motioning with her head into my direction.

Luke is still angry when we decide to start walking again. I go next to him with Julius and Fortuna in front of us and for a while we both don't talk.

Suddenly Luke stops. "Hey guys, you can go on. I just want to talk to Flora for a sec."

They both shrug and keep on walking quietly. After a few feet they stop probably because they don't want to lose us or because they think it's safer but there is enough distance so they can't hear us.

Luke turns to me and I can almost feel the cameras zoom on us. But then I'm about to gasp when I realize that there's something different than just anger in his eyes. There is hurt.

"Why are you doing this to me?" he asks me.

"Doing what to you?" I say, naively.

"You know exactly what I mean. I know he has told you about it. He has noticed it instantly," he says calmly.

So Gale had been right. Luke is in love with me. I don't know what to say or what to do. This is all too much. There are two guys liking me and I have no idea what to do. I don't even know if I'll get out here alive.

"Why?" I ask him. What was the reason that they both liked me. I was far from perfect.

"Why? You're asking me that? Can you tell me why you like him better than me? Why you choose him over me? I... know you so much longer than he does. And I..." I know that he wants to tell me that he loves me more than Gale does. But he doesn't want to say it in front of the cameras. He doesn't want everyone to know.

"Luke..." I say but the hurt in his eyes is too obvious. "I..." I start but am interrupted when a loud canon shot is to be heard.

I jump and Luke pushes me automatically behind his back, knife in his hand. One of my hands rests on an arrow, the other one on my bow. Then we realize that it's the canon that tells us how many tributes have died. The fight at the Cornucopia must be over. I panick when I realize that teenagers have died. How many? Is it too late for my plan? What will happen now?

We both don't move and start counting the shots.

Ten. Ten people have died. Ten lives have been taken.

But before I'm able to think about it more Fortuna calls over, "OhMy! Flora! Look what we've found here!"

At first I want to run over but they don't sound like they're in danger so Luke and I walk over quietly.

"What is it?" I ask them and Fortuna motiones to a tree.

I go over and observe the trunk. There's something engraved.

"Florentia, I will find you and kill you."

Was it Aurora? Has she been here?

Behind my I hear Luke gasp. I turn around and see him standing in front of a tree.

A neatly writing on the trunk says "You will never get her, Luke. Why should she take YOU when she can have HIM?"

Then we look around and realize that all around us are words engraved in trunks. I don't know what this is. Is it something Aurora did? Or something greater? Something made by the Gamemakers?

**A/N: That's it :) Hope you all like it and review :D Tell me if you think it's a trick of the Gamemakers or Aurora and please tell me who you like better :D Gale or Luke (in this fiction) :D Thanks**


	8. Thoughts

**This Is [Not] Just A Game**

**A/N: And here I am again :) So I have a plea: I know that a lot of people read this and have it on their favorites or alerts and I personally think that this is one of my better stories... so please review :) It would mean so much to me!**

**Thanks to the few reviewers: jayjay, TheBeatlesFan4eva, Trickster707, Mist16 and TrickyTrickster01!  
><strong>

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games.**_

_:Chapter 8:  
>~Thoughts~<br>_

I feel a tingling on my neck and instantly know that the cameras are trained on us. There's probably nothing interesting going on in the arena apart from us standing in the middle of a section where there are insults and our deepest fears engraved into the barks surrounding us.

I hear Fortuna next to me sob and wonder what she has read. Without looking at the bark she was staring at I warily drag her away. I don't know what she has seen but it seems to almost frighten her to death.

"Those are lies, created by the Gamemakers," I tell her, hoping that it was the truth. If it wasn't... it would mean that somebody in this arena knows way too much about every single one of us.

I turn around, still having one arm around Fortuna supportingly and look for Luke and Julius. Luke is still standing in front of the tree where the thing about him, Gale and me is engraved. He is looking at it grimly and I wonder what the people at home think. Are they smart enough to figure it out? They heard Luke's and mine conversation and I am sure that the cameras zoomed on the words to show them why we all were acting like this. Do they see the connection?

If they see it they must be just as thrilled as they were while watching the 74th Hunger Games. Then it had been one girl and one boy madly in love with eachother but only one could survive. Now it is two boys in love with one girl. They don't know which one I'll choose and not to forget it can be that either Luke or me will die in here. It makes me sick to know there are people loving this. Worst is... even after all that happened I have this feeling that the rebels still aren't enjoying this. I think even though we're teenagers that belong to them the people in the Capitol still enjoy the show. They don't care who they watch as long as it's entertaining.

"Let's go," I say. I want this to end as soon as possible. I don't want to stay here, maybe finding even greater fears of mine expressed in words so everyone knows them.

I march in front of the others not even glancing at the trees around us. I can see that there are words engraved from the corners of my eyes but I don't want to be able to see their horrible meaning.

It doesn't take long to leave the section. I'm glad being outside and feel a bit of easier now. Still I don't slow down. I want as much space as possible to seperate us from the other tributes and especially Aurora. So I keep on walking and walking.

I like woods, I realize. They're kind of soothing. Full of life. Animals everywhere. The colors are really impressing, too. I'm used to living in the Capitol where everything seems to be fake and there are almost no plants. The animals there are just as dressed up as their owners. There's nothing that's purely natural. I wish I had had the chance to be in woods more often and not under this conditions. I can hear birds sing and even the sun seems more real than over the Capitol. If it I don't die here I want to move to one of the districts that have a wood near them. Somewhere where everything is real. Real people, real lives, real nature. If that makes sense. I don't want my life to be as fake and horrible as the one the people at the Capitol have. I want a nice family far away from the Capitol with someone who isn't from the Capitol 'cause people that don't like the Games I'm starring in right now are seldom there and even the guys there have tons of make-up. And I don't want someone like that. But for that I need to survive and who knows if that works.

People say you push away horrible things, try to get distracted so you don't have to bear the truth. I guess that was what I had done the last week. Kind of. But now the break is over. While I'm marching through this arena I finally start to really think about it. Yes, I had thought about being in the arena the past week but never had I let all of the thoughts flood my mind. The circumstances, the consequences. Now that I have nothing to avert the thoughts I'm being drowned with hopelessness. The chance of surviving is a really small one. Especially with Aurora out there who has a found a great interest in hunting me down. And even if I won... it meant that Fortuna for example had to die. Winning means survival but the price is a high one to pay. Of course there's my plan but now that I'm thinking of it I am doubting it will work out. Not after my realization that the people from the Capitol don't care the slightest bit for us tributes.

Only now I notice that a tear is rolling down my check and it drips from my chin. I watch it sparkle in midair when a sunray hits it and then I see how it falls to the ground. And that's when I notice it.

"Flora! Watch out!"

But Luke's scream and my realiziation are too late. My foot is in the middle of the air without ground anywhere near it and I fall.

**A/N: And there we have a cliffhanger :D I'm so sorry it's this short :P I just liked it that way 'cause you know the chapter's title is thoughts :)**

**So please alert/fave/review :D  
><strong>


	9. The Fall

This Is [Not] Just A Game

**A/N: I'm back! I hope you still know who I am... and yes I do have a bad conscience... Shouldn't have been gone for this long :/ I'm really sorry... So here is the next chapter! I'll try to get back to posting more often!**

**Thanks to all the amazing people who reviewed: Jayjay, LucyConlon, ThisIsTiff, LIGHTofLIFE, Disenchanted lotf, pansyandy, Drkness'sDaughter, Luli Cullen, CasperMellark and Katara Melody Cullen!**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. **_

:Chapter 9:  
>~ The Fall ~<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Gale<strong>

* * *

><p>I sit in an armchair. Giant displays surround me, showing different scenes of the Hunger Games. One screen is showing Aurora who's fighting her way through the forest, a wild look on her face. She's trying to hunt Flora down. Ernestus who looks exhausted and somewhat annoyed follows her like some sort of puppy.<p>

I check another display and search for the small pink dot on the map of the arena that gives me Flora's exact position. It is in the very heart of the forest, followed by three other dots in different colors that signify Luke, Fortuna and Julius. Apart from that there are no colors near them, meaning there are no other tributes close to them.

I feel easier. It seems as if there won't be any confrontations soon.

I lean back in the armchair and try to relax my tense muscles. My temples throb and I realize I haven't really slept for days. Not even before the Games started. But I can't sleep now... I have to take care of Flora and help her if she needs me.  
>Another voice in my head tells me that I can't help her now. She's in the arena and there aren't any threats for her now.<br>I allow myself to close my eyes. Just for a minute. Then I'll go on with my duty.  
>As soon as my eyes close the noise of the people surrounding me drifts away. The buzzing, the talking, the shuffling. It's all very distant now. It doesn't matter to me. I don't even notice it. I let myself slip away.<p>

But then. A scream.  
>My eyes are open wide. Even though I didn't pay attention to any other sound this one brought me back instantly. Because I know who the scream belongs to. I recognize the voice even before I hear Luke's desperate cry.<p>

"Flora!"

How long had I been gone? What had happened?

Wide awake at once I push myself off the armchair and walk to the monitors, scanning the different scenes on them.

"What happened?" I ask one of the Rebels that control the screens and what they show next to me.

The Rebel looks very nervous and uneasy. "Erm...It's Flora, Mr. Hawthorne, " he says, looking at me, frightened. I guess he knows about my feelings for her.

"Yes, I know that," I answer, annoyed. "But what happened?" I have a hard time controlling myself. My fists clench and unclench at my sides and I feel like punching one of the giant screens until it shatters.

Fast, the Rebel takes a small electronic board out of a pocket on his back and types something on it. Then he motions at a giant display in front of us. "Watch it yourself."

It's a recap. I see a zoom of Flora's face. She seems thoughtful and there are tears in her eyes. Even almost crying she's still unbelievably beautiful and it feels as if someone stabs my heart with a dagger over and over again... because I know something will happen to her any moment.

A tear solves itself from her eyelashes and rolls down her cheek. The camera zooms out in the moment it drips from her chin.

I look at the screen in shock as I realize what's about to happen. There is a giant cliff in front of her. It goes so far down you can't see an end to it.

"Flora! Watch Out!" I hear Luke's scream. But it's too late.

I see her eyes widen as her foot steps into absolutely nothing. And then I hear her scream again.

That's the end of the recap.

"This can't be." I run over to the map and look for the pink dot that will show me she's still alive.

At first I think I'm only imagining it because my heart wouldn't bear her death but no matter how often I blink to make sure I'm not imagining it... her dot is still there. It glows faintly, telling me she's in a bad situation but nevertheless she is still alive.

"Livestream of what's happening at the cliff on Screen 4," I tell the Rebel that has followed me. My voice trembles the slightest bit.

He starts typing on his board again and it feels as if he's taking forever. "Hurry! Up!" I scream at him.

He looks at me scared but starts typing faster. Then he looks up at a screen further right to the map of the arena.

I look up, too, and see Luke, kneeling on the ground right in front of the cliff, looking down.

"Flora?" he asks.

There's a groan answering him.

"Zoom in on the cliff!" I order the Rebel. He starts typing furiously again.

"Ugh. Stop it!" I say and he looks at me confused. With a fast motion I take the board from him and let my fingers move over it, zooming in on the cliff.

There, not easy to extinguish, but to my relief still very alive, hangs Flora. She's desperately clutching some sort of plant about 10 feet lower than Luke. The plant is long and seems to hold her weight. So far so good but it was obvious that Flora wasn't able to keep her hold of it that much longer.

Luke, the useless bastard, doesn't seem to even think about doing anything else besides kneeling there and calling her name.

"How many sponsors does she have?" I ask the Rebel that is still standing next to me and flinches at the sound of my voice.

"She's got the most of all tributes," he answers quietly.

I roll my eyes and groan. "That wasn't my question." He takes a step back, obviously scared. "Just tell me. Are there enough to send them a long tearproof rope so that that idiot Luke can rescue her?"

"Umm... y-yes," the Rebel stutters.

I look at him expectantly but he just stares at me uneasily. "Go!" I scream at him. "We can't lose any time!"

With one shocked look at me he turns around and runs away.

I shake my head annoyed before training my eyes on the display again, observing the situation.

* * *

><p><strong>Luke<strong>

* * *

><p>"Flora?" I call out again.<p>

"Yes, Luke, I'm still hanging here," is her angry response. "Stop calling my stupid name and try to find a way to get me the heck out of here instead!"

A bit clueless I stand up and look around.

"Is she okay?" Fortuna asks. She looks very pale and worried.

"Right now she is but probably not for very long..." I answer, thinking about what to do.

"OhmyGod. What should we do? OhmyGod. This is so horrible. OhmyGod. We're all going to die!" Julius says, fanning air to his face with his hand and looking over-dramatic.

I feel rage build up in my stomach. The girl I love is about to vanish in a neverending hole and all he cares about is himself. "At first you should calm the hell down," I say, giving my voice a dangerous edge. Julius looks at me, frightenedly. "Then we should look for something to pull her up."

Julius doesn't move while Fortuna and I look around for something long we could use as a rope. But it's hopeless. The branches of the trees around us are too thin and wouldn't carry her weight. And anyway I'm so scared and worried out of my mind that my brain isn't helping... Over and over again I can see her lose her hold and fall down and down and vanish...

My thoughts are interrupted by Julius "A present for me! I'm saved! Finally someone appreciates me!"

I look up and meet Fortuna's eyes. We both turn around and go back to Julius. Because seriously... who would send Julius something?

The "What am I supposed to do with a rope?" that is following shows us we were right. As we come back we can see Julius who has a long thick rope in his lap and looks at it confused. "My sponsors have sent me a rope. But I can't figure out why," he says and looks at us.

In another situation I would've buried my face in my hands and would've explained everything. But it isn't like Flora has all the time of the world. So I take the rope - under Julius' protests of course - and go to the edge of the cliff.

Behind me I can hear Fortuna explain the gift to Julius who's still convinced the present is meant for him.

"Flora, I'm letting a rope down. You have to take it so I can pull you up," I say.

I can hear a faint sound from below and take it as approval. Slowly, I let the rope down before it's approximately at her height. When I feel a motion on the other end of the rope I know I have reached her. I concentrate and put all my energy and strength into holding the rope. One wrong grip and Flora could die. My fingers that were trembling before are now completely still as I slowly pull her up.

Finally after pulling and pulling and pulling with a lot of strength I can see her head at the edge of the cliff.

Fortuna who had been watching comes over and carefully helps Flora who's bleeding from a few scratches on her arms, legs and cheek to get on the normal forest floor.

I let go of the rope, seeing her safely lying on the ground and kneel down beside her. Only know I feel that my hands burn from pulling her up but in comparison to the relief I'm feeling it doesn't matter. The girl I love is alive and okay.

But then I notice she isn't okay. Ever so slightly her body shakes. Her face is hidden in her hands and I realize she is sobbing. How selfish! The whole time I had also only been thinking about myself. I had never even wasted a thought on how she was feeling, hanging there, a neverending hole directly under her. She must have been frightened to death!

I pat her back soothingly.

After a while she stops sobbing and looks up at me. "Where did you get the rope from?" she asks. It seems to be a stupid question in a situation like this. She had just been rescued and she worried about where the rope came from?

"Your sponsors have sent it," Fortuna answers her, smiling. She sits next to Julius who seems to take a nap.

As Fortuna says it, I realize something. A normal gift from sponsors never would've arrived this fast. Someone had to have made them work extra fast. And I know who that someone is.

Never would I have expected that sometime I would be glad that Gale Hawthorne loves the same girl as I do. But right now I am glad. Because otherwise I probably would have lost her. We are rivals. Rivals when it comes to who she will choose. But that's not what I think about when I look at the sky and nod to show him how thankful I am.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I hope this chapter was bareable :/ If not... I'm sorry :/ Just tell me and I will rewrite it!**

**But please, please, please review and show me I'm still doing it right! **

**oh and I was thinking about changing Flora's age so the gap between Gale and her won't be that big anymore :)**

**Hope to see you soon :)**


	10. Realization

**This Is [Not] Just A Game**

**A/N: Soooo next update :) I had summer break and was somewhere without internet but whatever :) Hooooope you like this chapter :)**

**Thanks to the reviewers: SnowGemsxo, Disenchanted Iotf, Guest and Britt123!**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. **_

_:Chapter 10:_

_~ Realization ~_

We spent our first night in the arena each one of us keeping guard for approximately two hours while the other three slept so that each one of us had about 6 hours in which they could sleep. Apart from the ten tributes that had died at the Cornucopia everybody had survived the first day. To my great dislike the only tribute that I wanted dead is still alive. Aurora.

In the morning Luke and Fortuna go search for something edible so we can have a breakfast. At first I had wanted to go hunting with Luke but since we're the only two fully able to fight out of us four we decided that it was better to have one fighter stay with one of the other both.

So Julius and I sit at our sleeping place to guard our few belongings.

Our sleeping place is in the shadow of a giant tree. While all around us the sun lights up the forest and makes it impossible for other tributes to hide, the shadow of the tree gives us a bit of protection so that we can make out other tributes before they can see us. The only thing that could give us away is sound. Especially Julius has a lot of problems keeping his voice down.

"I hope we'll find some good conditioner soon. My hair isn't used to live without good care this long," Julius says, twirling one of his purple curls around a finger and observing it intently.

"Pssshhh," is my answer since he talks much too loudly as always. "And anyway. We're in an arena. There aren't any conditioners here," I inform him. That guy seriously has some issues. I guess he's not taking the Games seriously. For him there seems to be no difference between the Games he has watched on TV and these Games that he's actually in. But that would probably change soon when the real fighting began. Even though I almost died yesterday the gravity of what could happen any minute doesn't seem to have gotten through to him so far. Idiot.

Suddenly I hear a scream not far from us. I don't know how I can tell but I instantly know it's Fortuna.

I stand up at once, hanging the quiver with the arrows around my shoulder, my bow and one arrow at the ready. Slowly, the bow lifted, I creep out of the shadows of the tree, carefully peeking around its trunk, looking for tributes that could attack us. Seeing that there is no one I start walking into the direction the scream came from.

After a few steps I turn around and see that Julius isn't following me but still sitting under the tree.

"What are you doing?" I hiss at him.

He looks up from the strand of his hair and stares at me a little bit dumbly.

"You can't stay here alone," I hiss again. "Unless you want to die."

"But our stuff," he answers.

"There's no time for that. We need to see if we can help Fortuna. And please keep behind me. I'm the one who can handle the weapons and defend us in case we get attacked." Now he doesn't look so unconcerned anymore. Frightened he looks around while following me like a lost puppy.

The closer I get to the direction I heard the scream come from the more sounds I hear. It seems like someone is talking in the distance. The chance that there are other tributes apart from Fortuna and Luke and whoever they have run into is very small. I follow the voices even though it still could be a trap.

"What have you done?!" I can hear Fortuna's voice. She seems to be okay and not hurt but her voice sounded panicked.

I get closer and see her kneeling on a clearing.

There is an orange haired boy standing on the opposite of her. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you were an ally of Luke and... her," the boy whose name is Christopherus as I remember seems shocked. "If I had known that you belong to her, I would've never attacked you!" A feeling tells me that the 'her' he's talking about is me. Which girl else is there being allied with Luke and Fortuna?

I had totally forgotten Julius until he lightly taps on my shoulder. Annoyed, I turn around. "What?!" I hiss.

His eyes are wide and he still looks scared. He looks at me for a second before facing the clearing and pointing at something on it.

At first I wonder why he's pointing at Fortuna then I realize that he's directing my attention to something else.

My heart skips a very painful beat and a shudder goes down my spine. My sight becomes slightly clouded up and I realize there are tears about to well up. My breathing becomes uneven because of a pain caused by my heart that feels as if it's being stabbed by daggers.

Fortuna is kneeling in front of Luke who's motionlessly lying on the forest ground.

How come drastic things have to happen before we sometimes realize something? Is the truth burried so deep in our mind that only a crucial event can bring it to light? But when the truth is unearthed - it leaves no room for questions and doubts.

Everything seems to fade away. The trees around me. Julius. Fortuna. Christopherus. Until it's only Luke and me.

Of course, Luke isn't Gale. They're way too different from eachother. But Luke is Luke. And sometime along the way between all of his jealousy, protectiveness and fear for me, I seem to have fallen in love with him.

Without a second thought I run into the clearing, the bow and arrow in one hand, hanging at my side uselessly. I almost throw myself next to Luke onto the soft ground and ignore Fortuna's shocked face, Christopherus' cry of surprise and Julius' quiet whimpering at the edge of the clearing.

A tear drops from my eyelashes as I turn Luke around. There's a bleeding wound on his chest. It doesn't seem too deep or fatal so my eyes wander up to his face and I bent over him. As I hold my hand that's lightly trembling in front of his face to feel the weak stream of air that leaves his lips another tears slides down my face and drops from my chin, landing on his forehead.

Blinking a few times, he opens his eyes and looks up at me.

"Flora," he mutters huskily. Then he seems to get a better look at me and his eyes widen. "You are crying," he observes.

Stupid as I am I have to smile, wiping away fresh tears with a hand. "Luke," I want to say but my voice breaks in the middle. Instead a take a few seconds, smiling at me before saying "You idiot."

Now he has to smile, too. "Why am I an idiot? I just tried to protect Fortuna when she got attacked and got wounded instead of her." His voice is still incredibly hoarse.

Noticing the first bad thing about my newly found feelings for Luke I feel a pang of jealousy. Telling myself he would've protected me just like her and that it was good that he had done that I caressed his cheek with my thumb, glad that he's most definitely not in mortal danger.

Someone that cleared his throat catches my attention and I look up, realizing that Luke and I aren't alone. It was Christopherus who watches me nervously. To his feet I can see a bloody dagger and I can feel anger making the blood that pumps through my veins boil. With one swift motion I swing the bow and arrow up, aiming right at his heart.

Even though Christopherus is tall he looks quite slim and not really well-build. His orange hair is quite short apart from the quiff. Even with the immediate threat to his life he doesn't seem extremely frightened or at least he doesn't show it. "I can explain this," he says with a steady voice.

"You better be right," I answer, my eyes narrowed, my arrow still directed at him, ready to get loosened and bore through his heart.

**A/N: Oh God, I can be such a Drama Queen sometimes :P But it's the Hunger Games so I guess a bit of drama is okay here :) **

**So just to keep it clear: Flora is now in love with both of them and they're both in love with her so it's a real love triangle from now on :)**

**Please, please, please it'd mean so much to me if there would be more reviewers and followers! I probably won't start working on the next chapter if I don't see enough people that are eager to read it :/ So please give me a sign that you want the next chapter by reviewing :)**


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